The Power of Love and Friendship: Volume I
by lateVMlover
Summary: After closing the hellmouth, Buffy gives up slaying, determined to live a peaceful life. A desire to help others drives her to finish a degree in counseling. She starts back to college in Metropolis and checks out Smallville where she meets Lex Luthor. Her friendship will put him on a much better path. This is a short story in a much larger arch.
1. Chapter 1

**I never wrote fanfiction when** _ **Smallville**_ **was on the air. Since Hulu started streaming** _ **Smallville**_ **, I finally got around to watching the first few seasons. I only begun watching** _ **Smallville**_ **after Lois was on the show. I know how the show ends and how bad Lex gets. As I watched season 1, I was drawn to the tragic figure of Lex Luthor. Like Clark, I know that there is good in him. I decided that he needed someone besides Clark to keep him from succumbing to the darkness inside of him. I'm assuming that Lex is 21 or 22 in season 1 of** _ **Smallville**_ **. This story takes place then. It is several months after season 7 of** _ **Buffy**_ **. The** _ **BTVS**_ **comics are ignored and not a part of this alternate world.**

 **This will be several short stories in a series as I don't want the pressure of a long story right now, but I wrote this months ago and am excited to share it with someone! I hope someone likes it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **BTVS**_ **or** _ **Smallville.**_

Chapter 1: First Encounters

It had been about five months since Buffy had closed the hellmouth. She and the surviving potentials spent a few weeks with Angel in Los Angeles before Giles got control of the council funds. She and Faith were paid quite well for their years of service. Buffy would never have to work again if she didn't want to. Willow was gathering all the potentials in England. Buffy, though, was done. She'd given more than one life to slaying. She asked Willow to find her a place that needed her but had no hellmouth potential.

Willow told her about Smallville, Kansas, a small town outside of the larger Metropolis. Buffy could attend school and finish her degree in psychology. Smallville had a lot of weird things happen that Willow said had no supernatural roots but extraterrestrial. A meteor shower had killed a lot of people over a decade earlier. Ever since then, the meteor rocks had weird effects on the populace—something the public officials were loath to admit. Only the high school paper ever seemed to point out the weird things that went on.

Buffy wanted to spend a semester focusing on school. She was taking eighteen credits. Then she would move to Smallville and bring Dawn back from Cleveland after spending the summer overseas with Giles in the UK. It wasn't easy being so far from her sister and friends. However, the absolute quietness of her new life brought her a peace and contentment that she hadn't felt since her calling. Faith was taking over all the potentials. She had enough help with Robin and Xander—even Andrew. If a world ending event occurred, Buffy would step in and help. She'd even given Faith her scythe. Her friends had been upset at first, but they knew how much she needed a break.

Since Buffy didn't really need a paycheck, she was hoping she might volunteer her services at the local high school. Robin had provided her a glowing letter of recommendation. The school had one overworked counselor that was busy with the academic side of things. Buffy was going to meet the counselor that morning and talk about her ideas for a mentorship. Then she was going to explore the town.

***** _Several Hours Later*****_

Clark was in the room were all the magic happened—according to Chloe. He was supposed to be finishing his article, but instead, he was daydreaming about Lana Lang. They'd been neighbors all his life, but he could never really talk to her since she kept that green meteor rock necklace on all the time. Clark didn't know why it made him sick, but it did.

"Did you see the woman talking to Mrs. Powers?" Chloe asked excitedly.

"No," Clark said.

Chloe rolled her eyes, not surprised. "I was following her as she was giving a tour. I think she might start working here!" Chloe announced.

"Why? We haven't lost a teacher, and we're already in the middle of a semester," Clark said, frowning.

"I don't know! That's why I want to meet her!" Chloe said, liking the new mystery to explore.

"You could just go up and say hi," Clark suggested.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "You are such a babe," she said in disapproval. "There's nothing investigative about that! To be a reporter, you got to be sneaky."

"Miss Sullivan, I hope you are _not_ trying to convince Mr. Kent to do something against his conscience," a voice said.

Both students looked up as the very people they were discussing stood in the doorway.

"Mrs. Powers!" Chloe said, jumping up. "We were just talking about you, actually."

"Really?" the white blonde older lady said, giving the pair an indulgent smile.

"Chloe was just curious about your visitor," Clark said, quickly.

"Clark!" Chloe said in disapproval.

The very pretty blonde woman laughed. "I'm Buffy," she said, holding out her hand to Clark.

The woman had her hair pinned up, showing off a thin neck. Her green eyes were very pretty and kind. Clark automatically took her hand and was surprised when he actually felt her grip.

"That's quite a grip you have," Buffy said, impressed. Country boys were made stronger.

"Buffy? What kind of name is that? Family name?" Chloe asked.

"I work on a farm," Clark said, ignoring Chloe.

"I've never been to a farm before," Buffy said, glancing at Chloe. "I'm from California. Buffy is a Californian name."

"This is where the school paper is printed. Miss Sullivan likes to focus too much on the negative things that happen in this town," Mrs. Powers said in disapproval.

"I don't like to live with my head in the sand!" Chloe protested.

Mrs. Powers pointed to her wall of weird. "That display is a disgrace, Chloe! Other people's misfortunes should not be an object of such open speculation!" she said.

"My wall of weird refuses to hide what's really going on in this town!" Chloe said, not backing down.

Clark jumped in front of Chloe. "What Chloe means is she's not trying to profit off of others' bad luck. She just wants to tell their stories," he said, giving Chloe a pointed look.

"I think it's cool," Buffy said, walking to the wall and reading some of her headlines. "My school was on, like, a hellmouth. So many bad things happened. One principal got eaten by wild dogs. At my graduation, my principal was eaten by a giant snake. The town paper tried to say it was a gas leak."

"An escaped anaconda? That's possible. They get up to forty feet long!" Chloe said excitedly. "Do you have pictures? I'd love to see them!"

"Most students were too busy running for lives," Buffy said dryly. "Five years ago, cell phones with great cameras weren't the thing."

The bell rang. "Well, I have to go," Mrs. Powers said. "Chloe, why don't you and Clark show Miss Summers out?"

"Sure," Clark said.

"Miss Summers, I will definitely be calling you about your proposal," she said, smiling warmly at Buffy.

As soon as Mrs. Powers left, Chloe asked, "What proposal?"

Buffy laughed, amused by the girl's inquisitiveness. Dawn would so love this girl. "I want to volunteer here next semester. I'm getting my degree in psychology and want to start a mentoring program. I worked at the high school in my home town and felt like I really made a difference. Your counselor is really overworked."

"That'd be amazing!" Chloe said, liking the woman. A fresh mystery to solve. "You can tell me all about your high school were principals have a short lifespan." They walked out of the room. Chloe led her down the now empty halls to the front of the school.

"You're the reporter. It's up to you to find out the details," Buffy said, giving her a cheeky smile.

Chloe returned her smile, unoffended. "I live for a challenge," she admitted. It was refreshing to meet someone that wasn't put off by Chloe's inquisitiveness.

"So, where's your family, Buffy?" Clark asked. "Back in California?"

"Actually, my mom is in heaven—a brain aneurysm, and my dad is off with his secretary somewhere. My baby sister is in Cleveland with friends. She's going to school there. I hope to have her join me here after Christmas," Buffy shared.

"Oh, I'm sorry about your mom," Clark said with sympathy.

"Me, too," Buffy said. "But I know she's in a better place."

"That's good," Clark said.

"But how do you know? Reports on heaven are contradictory at best," Chloe said, not able to turn off her reporter brain.

Clark gave a her a look. "Chloe, how about you try to not offend a woman we just met?" he suggested.

Closing the hellmouth and losing so much had given Buffy some prospective. The past few months had been a time of real self-reflection. "It's fine. I don't mind telling her why I know that my mother is in heaven," Buffy said. "Because I died once and went there myself. Heaven is real. One day I will see her again." Her words to Chloe were said with real conviction. It was what gave Buffy hope and strength to keep fighting. Her peace would be found once again one day. It was nice to think of her mother experiencing it now even though her loss was still a hole that would never be filled.

Chloe looked at Clark in surprise, not expecting Buffy's answer. Before she could open her mouth to ask questions, Clark spoke. "I'm sure you will. I'm adopted myself. I don't know anything about my birth family," Clark offered up, hoping to distract Chloe from the invasive questions he knew were coming.

"Wow. I'm sorry to hear that," Buffy said in sympathy.

"I'm not. My parents are great," Clark said with a kind smile.

"Well, I appreciate you letting me see your wall of weird," Buffy said. "I hope to see you both next semester."

"Any time," Chloe said as Buffy walked to her car parked in the visitor.

"She seemed nice," Clark said as they watched her leave.

"She seemed full of secrets!" Chloe said excitedly.

"How so? She told us hers!" Clark argued.

"I know. So just imagine what she left unsaid!" Chloe told him. Then she slapped her forehead. "I can't believe I forgot to ask her what the name of her school was in California! What a rookie mistake!"

Clark put his arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, Chloe. She may even have a sister attend here. You'll learn all her secrets," he reminded her.

After school, Clark left Chloe regaling Pete about her newest story find while he walked home.

Buffy had parked her car rental in the middle of town and was taking her own leisure walk around the town, getting a feel for the place. Everyone was so friendly—it was weird but nice.

She saw a teen on the bridge and smiled as she recognized him as Clark Kent, one of three people she now knew in town. However, she saw a car on the hill speeding down toward them. There was something in the road that the driver didn't see. Buffy knew an accident was about to happen. Clark seemed totally oblivious, so she took off running toward him. She knocked him down just as the car came over the bridge. The driver's car hit the bridge, going over the side.

"Clark, are you okay?" Buffy asked, looking down at him.

"I'm fine," Clark said, stunned. She'd come out of nowhere and hit him so hard that he could still feel it. The oddity of it shook him. But she was still in motion. She was kicking off her shoes, threw her phone down. He stood up, realizing that she was about to dive off the bridge after the car.

"I've got to get that driver out of there!" Buffy exclaimed. Before he could say anything, she hit the water.

Clark followed her into the water without hesitation—his shoes were still on. Buffy was already at the car. Clark watched as she used her elbow to shatter the windshield. He swam up to help and pulled the door open. Clark recognized the bald head. Buffy pulled him toward Clark. Clark grabbed a hold of him and swam to the surface, Buffy right behind him. She and Clark pulled his head above water. Lex didn't stir.

Scared, Clark got out of the water first, pulling Lex after him.

"Lie him flat," Buffy ordered. Then she began CPR.

Lex Luthor spit out water as he took a deep breath. A beautiful woman had been breathing into him.

"Thank God!" she said in relief. "He should be okay."

"Clark?" a voice shouted.

"Dad!" Clark exclaimed, jumping up and embracing the man.

"What happened, Clark?" his dad asked.

"I'm fine. Buffy came out of nowhere and knocked me away from the car. Then she dived into the water to pull out Lex. I helped her," Clark said.

Lex was sitting up, trying to get his bearings. The woman was smiling encouragingly at him. "Take slow deep breaths. You're going to be okay," she said.

"You were speeding down the road again in that toy car of yours," Mr. Kent said, frowning in disapproval.

"I guess so," Lex said weakly.

"You could've killed my son!" Mr. Kent exclaimed angrily.

"Mr. Kent, this man almost died. Now is not the time for you to be yelling at him!" Buffy said in disapproval.

"Who are you?" Lex asked her.

Buffy stood and held out her hand. "I'm Buffy Summers," she said. He took her hand and stood.

"I owe you my life," Lex said, squeezing her hand. He let go and looked at Clark. "I'm Lex Luthor. I can't thank you enough."

"We know who you are," Mr. Kent said. "Be more careful driving around."

"There was something in the road he was dodging," Buffy said in his defense.

Lex thought a minute. "Yes, a roll of barbed wire. I tried to miss it, and then that's when I saw your son," he said with a wince and look of regret. "I couldn't stop."

"It's good that you were there, Buffy," Clark said. He didn't see her car. "How did you get here so fast?"

All three eyes were on Buffy. She gave a sheepish smile. "I parked in the center of town and was exploring. I saw the car coming and ran," she said.

The ambulance finally arrived. "I don't need an ambulance," Lex said.

"You should get checked out. Make sure there's no fluid in your lungs. I drowned once, so I know what I'm talking about," Buffy said.

The three men looked at her in surprise. She reassured them. "I got better!" she said. "But I know that you were submerged in a lot more water than I was."

"Were you in a swimming pool?" Clark asked, unable to stop from asking. He'd been spending too much time around Chloe.

"Clark," Mr. Kent admonished.

"It's okay. It was a long time. I was about your age, Clark. Sixteen," Buffy said with a casual shrug. "And no, it wasn't a pool. It was a fountain."

The men all gave her looks of confusion and puzzlement, each trying to figure out how one would drown in a fountain. Only Lex jumped to the correct conclusion. Someone had tried to kill her by holding her face in the water. Her casual mention of her brush with death sparked his curiousity.

The paramedic was insisting Lex get into the ambulance. He was hesitant to leave his beautiful rescuer who was full of intrigue.

"Will you be around?" Lex asked her.

"No. I have to go back to Metropolis. I have classes and a ton of homework," she said. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks, Buffy," Clark said, flashing her a warm smile.

"My pleasure. Pay more attention to your surroundings," Buffy admonished. "I'll see you next semester, I hope."

"Thank you, Miss Summers," Lex said. He reluctantly walked away from him rescuer, climbing into the ambulance.

"Take care of yourself," Buffy said, giving him a smile and a wave. She was glad he went with the paramedic. He really had been in the water too long.

"Can I give you a ride?" Mr. Kent asked.

"Nah. I'm good. I'll be seeing you," she said. She waved and walked across the bridge.

The two men watched her for a moment. "So what really happened?" Jonathan Kent asked his son.

"It was just like she said. I was oblivious. She came out of nowhere and knocked me out of the way," Clark shared. "You should've seen her, Dad. She didn't hesitate. She threw her cell phone down and kicked off her shoes and dived. When I followed her, she was already at the car. She busted his car window with her elbow. I helped her open the door."

"So, she didn't see you use your powers?" his dad asked.

"No. She was the powerful one! She was incredible, Dad!" Clark said, obviously in awe of the woman.

"Lucky for all of us, she was there. No need getting Lex Luthor interested in your life," Jonathan said. "So how did you meet this girl?"

"She's going to start a mentorship program next semester, she said. Mrs. Powers introduced her to Chloe and me today. We walked her out after the bell rang and Mrs. Powers had to leave. Chloe gave her the third degree, and she didn't even get annoyed. She was very patient with Chloe. I think she's going to make a great counselor. Her program will probably help a lot of kids," Clark said.

"That sounds nice," Jonathan said. "Let's get you home to change."

Clark wasn't sure how his day had gone so off the rails, but he had a feeling meeting Buffy and saving Lex was the beginning of something.

***** _Chapter End*****_

 _If it's been a while since you've seen the pilot episode of Smallville, I changed it just enough to make some huge changes. Not only did I insert Buffy in it as co-savior, but in case you didn't catch it, there's no reason for Lex to obsess over how Clark saved him. Buffy wisely used just enough strength to get Lex out without drawing suspicion. Reviews make me so happy, so please take a moment to review and let me know if you want to read more! This first story will be 5 chapters long. Thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

**I will not be attempting to borrow dialogue straight from episodes. I hope that doesn't bother anyone, but since it's been over a decade since this season was on the air, I figured it would not be a big deal.**

 **Anon: Please don't use my story to post your crazy in a review. Start a blog.**

 **General Note: This will not be a love triangle with Buffy/Clark/Lex since I have made Buffy six years older and a mentor. That's just icky to me. This is a Buffy/Lex story with Clark. In my heart, no one is better than Lois for Clark. I will insert Buffy into Smallville events as well as add a few new bits from the BTVS world. I hope you enjoy the update! Thanks for reading.**

Chapter 2: New Friends

***** _A Week Later*****_

Lex Luthor tried once again to read the report in front of him. He managed a few minutes before images of his near death and his two saviors intruded. The Kent boy, though, wasn't the one who occupied most of his time. He'd sent the young savior a gift to show his thanks. However, the woman who brought him back to life didn't live in Smallville. She intrigued him like no woman ever had. He saw both sorrow and strength in her gaze. It haunted him.

"Lex!" a voice called out. He looked up and saw Clark Kent.

"Clark. Good to see you!" Lex said, standing to greet him.

"This is some place you got here, Lex," Clark said, looking around in awe.

"Yes, it's more of a museum than a home," Lex said.

"Some home," Clark said with a grin.

Lex couldn't help but respond to the teen's genuine enthusiasm and warm mile. "What brings you by? Did you get the gift I sent you?" he asked.

Clark looked uncomfortable as he held up the key chain. "I came to return the truck. Thanks, but I can't keep it," Clark said.

"Do you not like it? I can get you something else. It's the least I can do for the guy who helped save my life," Lex said.

"No, I love it. It's great. My dad won't let me keep it, though," Clark said, looking embarrassed.

Lex pushed down the flare of anger. Jonathan Kent was not a man who would accept charity. Lex shouldn't take offense. "I'm sorry to hear that. I just wanted to thank you," Lex said, accepting the keys.

"Well, maybe a nice dinner sometime," Clark said with a grin.

"Any time," Lex said.

"Did you buy Buffy one, too?" Clark asked.

"I would've if I knew where she lived," Lex said.

"With your contacts, you couldn't find out?" Clark asked in surprise.

"I thought about it. I gathered Miss Summers is a student in Metropolis, but there's more than one school," Lex said.

"She is going to Metropolis University. She's a psychology major," Clark said. "She's going to be moving to Smallville with her younger sister by next semester. She's starting a mentoring program at the high school. That's how I met her."

Lex realized that Clark was full of useful information. "Well, that's good to know. I'd like to thank her. Do you think she'd be upset if I tracked her down? Some women get freaked out if a man finds out where they live. I don't want her to think I'm some creep or stalker," Lex said with a rueful smile.

"She seemed pretty strong and independent. I would think she'd be flattered someone like you would go through all the effort," Clark said. "Maybe don't go to her house. Find her on campus. In public will take away the creep factor."

"Good idea," Lex said. "Thanks for the advice, Clark. I appreciate it."

"Thanks for the truck. I'm sorry that I can't keep it," Clark said regretfully.

"Thanks for saving my life, Clark. I won't ever forget that," Lex said sincerely.

After Clark left, he picked up the phone. The young teen had a point. It was time he found his beautiful savior.

***** _The Next Day*****_

Buffy was coming out of her last class and found a familiar bald head sitting on a bench outside her classroom building. Curious, Buffy walked toward him.

"Mr. Luthor? What are you doing here?" she asked him.

Lex smiled up at her. "Hello. I was hoping to see you again," he said.

"Is that why you're staking out my classroom building?" Buffy said both flattered and concerned.

"Well, I wanted to thank you in person for saving my life. Clark mentioned you were a psychology major here, so I decided to wait here and see if I could spot you coming out of the main building for psychology majors," he said with a sheepish smile.

"I'm flattered you went through the effort," Buffy said, caught off guard. She was rarely thanked by the people she saved. No one had ever bothered to find her to say thanks in person.

Lex smiled. "Are you done with classes? I'd like to take you to dinner to show my thanks," he said.

"That's not necessary," Buffy said, waving off his gratitude.

"You know Clark gave back the truck I bought him and now you don't want me to take you to a measly dinner. What's a guy got to do to show his gratitude?" Lex asked with a rueful smile.

"You bought Clark a car?" Buffy asked. "How much money do you have?"

"You don't know? That's usually the only thing people know about me and whatever bull the gossip rags print," Lex said, genuinely surprised.

"I don't keep up with celebrity gossip or most news," Buffy admitted. "Unless the world's ending, I don't really want to know. I'm busy with school."

Lex found her very refreshing and was more interested by the minute. "Do you have time for dinner?" he asked.

"Buffy!" a voice called out.

Lex watched her face transform. The brilliance of her smile struck him mute. Unfortunately, he wasn't the recipient of the smile. A man was walking toward Buffy. As he got closer, Lex was startled by the man's appearance. He had dark hair in need of a cut and a black eye patched that matched his black leather jacket. A teenage girl was next to him.

Buffy moved to embrace the girl. "I didn't know you guys were coming!" she exclaimed.

"The Dawnster missed the Buffster, so I decided to bring her to see you since I missed you, too," the man said. Buffy gave him a long hug. Lex watched their interaction carefully. Was he her lover? When she didn't kiss him, he doubted it.

"Who's your friend?" Dawn asked, eying the guy curiously.

"Oh!" Buffy said, having forgotten Lex in her excitement. "I'm sorry, Lex Luthor. Xander, Dawn, this is Lex. Lex, this is my sister and best friend, Xander. My sister's been living overseas and recently moved back to the states. They came in from Ohio."

Lex held out his hand, smiling. "It's nice to meet you. Is Xander short for Alexander?" he asked Xander.

Xander nodded. "Yep. Alexander Lavelle Harris at your service," Xander said, giving a short bow.

"I thought so," Lex said. "That's my full name, too. Except for Lavelle, of course."

"It's a good name," Buffy said, smiling.

"Are you a student here?" Dawn asked in her usual frank manner.

"No, I live in Smallville," he said.

"He came to thank me," Buffy said.

"She saved my life a week ago. Pulled me out of a car in the river," Lex said.

"Buffy's good at the savage," Xander said with a grin.

"You came all the way here to thank her? Wow, that's so cool!" Dawn exclaimed, impressed.

"He wanted to buy me dinner. Can you believe that?" Buffy said, smiling warmly at Lex.

"That's so sweet!" Dawn gushed.

Lex preened under the girls' looks of admiration. He wasn't used to admiration for himself and not his last name.

Xander rolled his eye. "Buying dinner isn't that big of deal. I buy dinner for you all the time!" Xander said.

Buffy giggled. "Very true," she acknowledged. She turned to Lex. "Maybe we can take a raincheck on dinner?"

Dawn, ever the matchmaker, said, "If you live in Smallville, maybe tomorrow you can give us a tour? Then you can feed us lunch!"

Lex smiled. "It'd be my pleasure," he said. He handed Buffy his card. "Call me when you decide on a time."

They said goodbye and watched him leave.

"He seemed nice," Dawn said with a grin.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. She looked down at the card. Xander snatched it from her. "Hey!"

"Luthorcorp. I knew his name sounded familiar," Xander said, frowning. "His dad is pretty notorious in development circles."

"Well, he can't help who his dad is," Dawn said.

"Don't I know it," Xander said. "I'm just saying you should keep in mind who he learned his business practices from if he's working for his dad."

"I'll keep that in mind," Buffy said.

"So tell us about this save?" Dawn asked.

"I will after Xander feeds me!" Buffy said with a grin. She threw her arm around Xander's waist. She missed him a lot.

 _*****The Next Day*****_

Clark was at the Farmer's Market with his parents when he spotted a familiar face. It was Lex. He grinned when he saw Buffy with Lex. "He must've took my advice," Clark said.

"What's that, son?" Jonathan asked.

"I see Lex over there with Buffy," Clark said, pointing. Lex spotted him and began to direct Buffy his way.

"Good to see you, Lex," Clark said, smiling. "You, too, Buffy."

Buffy grinned up at him. "This is fantastic! All this food! Makes me hungry!" she exclaimed.

"After that giant breakfast you had, I can't believe you could possibly be hungry," Lex said, laughing. He'd been very happy to have Buffy call him late the night before to make plans this morning. They'd had breakfast at the Talon, where they'd met. Dawn had been very excited that there was a small theatre in the town even if it didn't play new releases.

"I have a very high metabolism," Buffy said. "How are you, Clark? Mr. Kent?"

"We're great," Clark said. "This is my mom, Martha Kent."

Buffy held out her hand. "Buffy Summers. You have quite a brave son. You must be proud," Buffy said.

"I am," Marth said, smiling at her son.

Dawn gave her sister a pointed look. She wanted the very hot guy to know who she was.

"Oh, Clark, this is my sister, Dawn. She will be a student at your school next semester. Dawn, Clark," Buffy introduced.

Clark gave her a warm smile and Dawn melted. He was so gorgeous! "What grade will you be in?" he asked.

"Junior. You?" she asked.

"Sophomore," he said.

"Clark, maybe you can join us in a few hours for lunch? I'm going to take them around a few spots," Lex said.

Clark looked at his mom, who gave him an encouraging smile. "Okay," he said. "Thanks."

"The more the merrier," Buffy said. She looked at the produce with interest. "We will be eating so much better when we live here!"

Martha smiled. "I hope to see you when you do settle into town," she said.

"Thanks!" Buffy said. They said goodbye.

"She seemed nice," Martha said.

"Buffy? Yes, she is," Clark said.

"Actually, I was referring to her sister," Martha said, smiling. "She was quite lovely."

"Yes, she was," Clark said. He had noticed. The girl might even have been prettier than Lana. "She's a lot taller than Buffy. They don't look much alike."

"That's how it works with siblings. Sometimes siblings look identical. Sometimes not," Martha said. "I'm impressed that someone has tiny as Buffy was so quick to save Lex."

"She's stronger than she looks," Clark said. She was also pretty fast since she had come out of nowhere and saved him from Lex's car. Clark had a feeling that life around this woman would never been boring.

***** _Early Afternoon*****_

They were eating lunch, sharing a few basic stories—nothing too personal. Mostly, Xander was telling stories of his summer in Africa. Finally, though, Dawn couldn't refrain from asking Lex a very personal question.

"So, Lex, can I ask you something?" Dawn asked. She was sitting next to her sister, across from Lex and Clark while Xander sat at the end.

"No, Dawn, you can't," Buffy said, giving her a pointed glare.

Since Lex was an only child, he didn't know any better and smiled. "Sure," he said.

"Don't say that I didn't warn you," Buffy said in resignation.

"Most guys your age—at least most white guys—don't go for the bald look. Ever thought of growing your hair out?" Dawn asked.

Clark's eyes widened in surprise. He threw Lex an embarrassed look that Xander and Buffy caught, but Dawn, as usual, was oblivious to.

"Dawn!" Buffy exclaimed, mortified.

Lex's smile didn't waver. "It's all right. I'm not upset," he said. "Actually, Dawn, I'd love to grow hair if I could. However, I was in Smallville when the meteors hit eleven years ago. I almost died and all my hair was gone. Since then, my hair hasn't grown a bit, nor have I been sick a day."

"Really?" Dawn asked, fascinated.

"I spent a lot of years being ridiculed and picked on over it. But I've learned to accept it," Lex said.

"I bet Willow could fix you," Dawn said.

Buffy elbowed her. "Shut it!" she said, through clenched teeth. She leaned over and whispered in Dawn's ear.

"We just met these people. We can't start telling them about witches and magic," Buffy said in a low whispered.

Clark's eyes widened as he could hear Buffy's words. What? Magic? Witches? Were they for real?

"Who's Willow?" Lex asked.

"She's just a very gifted friend. Xander and I went to high school with her. She's our best friend and extremely intelligent. She's been known to do the impossible," Buffy said.

Lex looked at Xander. "What about you?" he asked. "What happened to your eye?"

Xander looked at Buffy before replying. "I pissed off a serial killer who was trying to kill Buffy. He put his thumb through it," he said bluntly.

Both Clark and Lex were noticeably shocked at his frank admission.

"You're joking," Lex said, unable to believe the tale.

Buffy gave Xander a fond look. "He's always been my White Knight," she said. "Unfortunately, he doesn't jest. Caleb was a real misogynist. He's dead now, so justice was served."

"That's awful! I'm sorry you had to go through something like that," Clark said with sympathy.

"You know what they say, 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' I've discovered there's not much I can't survive. Even death," Buffy said, adding a smile, so the guys weren't sure how serious she was.

"How do you survive death?" Lex asked, finding her more and more fascinating.

"Xander lost his eye less than a year ago, but when he was sixteen, he saved my life for the first time," Buffy shared. "I mentioned that I drowned. I was legally dead for a few minutes until Xander performed CPR on me."

Lex gave Xander a look of admiration. "A white knight indeed," he said.

Xander looked embarrassed and brushed it off. "I did what any guy would do," he said dismissively.

Lex put his hand on Clark's shoulder. "Sounds like you and Clark have a lot in common," Lex said.

"So where to next?" Dawn asked, hoping to change the direction of the conversation. She didn't like thinking about Caleb or any of Buffy's deaths.

"The Talon's playing a showing of _Casablancas_ at two," Clark suggested.

Buffy smiled. "I love that movie. We used to watch it with our mother," Buffy said.

"She would totally go if she was here," Dawn said, sharing a bittersweet smile with Buffy.

"Maybe when she comes for a visit, we can have Lana play it again," Lex suggested.

"Our mom's dead," Dawn said in that blunt manner teenagers often have.

"Brain aneurysm after a tumor removal a few years ago," Buffy explained.

"I'm sorry. I lost my mother years ago," Lex said with sympathy. "Life just isn't the same without our mothers." Another layer peeled away, and it seemed they had more in common with each layer.

"I'm adopted, so I never met my real parents. But Mom and Dad are great," Clark said.

"Adopted?" Dawn asked with interest. "I've never met anyone that was adopted. What's that like?"

"How about you stop with the personal and invasive questions?" Buffy said with a glare. She saw the waiter. "Check!"

Buffy managed to get her hand on the check before Lex. "This is on me. You sprung for breakfast," Buffy said.

Lex couldn't have been more surprised. No one had ever bought his lunch besides his father. "Well, thanks," he said, wanting to protest. However, he felt that this woman was very strong and independent. She wouldn't appreciate his protest.

As they walked down the sidewalk, Clark fell into step with Dawn. "So, Clark, do you have a girlfriend?" Dawn boldly asked. He might be a year younger than her, but he was so gorgeous and nice.

"No," he said.

"Really?" Dawn asked surprised. "How does a guy as nice and good-looking as you stay single?"

Clark blushed. "Well, the only girl I have liked never noticed me that way. I guess I never met anyone else that interests me," he admitted. He was surprised that he felt so comfortable with this girl. She was quite beautiful herself. However, Clark didn't feel a real attraction for her.

"Clark?" a voice said.

"Hello, Miss Sullivan," Lex said.

"Hey, Miss Summers. Mr. Luthor," Chloe said, frowning. What was Buffy doing with Clark? Why was Clark with her dad's boss?

"Hi, Chloe," Clark said, knowing the question on her mind. "This is Buffy's sister Dawn. The one that will be in our school next year."

Chloe gave the strikingly beautiful girl a warm smile. "Nice to meet you. I'm Chloe Sullivan. The guys here will flip when they see you," she said.

"Cause I'm so weird looking?" Dawn asked, grinning.

"No, because you're so beautiful. Probably even prettier than Lana Lang," Chloe said, looking at the taller girl with interest. She looked at her much shorter sister. "You, too, don't look much alike."

Dawn snickered. "You actually look more like her than I do!" Dawn observed, looking between Chloe and Buffy.

Clark and Lex both looked at the two girls. "You may have a point," Lex said.

Xander grinned. "That would explain a lot!" he exclaimed, totally amused by the idea.

"Both blonde and shorter. Both have greenish colored eyes and a pert nose," Clark said. "Yep."

"Dawn, I forgot to tell you," Buffy said, touching her arm and looking very serious. "You were switched at birth."

Because Dawn's origins were so mystical and insane, the humor behind Buffy's claim struck her strongly, and she burst out laughing. "I wish!" she exclaimed. Then looked guilty for saying the W word. "Do you want to join us? We're going to the movies."

"Sure," Chloe said, falling into step next to Dawn.

"Oh, the scary eye patch guy is Xander," Dawn said with a grin. When Xander tried to glower at her, she giggled.

Chloe could tell that the man with one eye wasn't very menacing.

Buffy smiled to see Dawn already making friends and resumed her walk between Lex and Xander. Lex was a very nice man, who hadn't bored her all day. She spent so little time around men who weren't involved in the supernatural. It was nice to just have a normal day and be seen as normal. In her classes at school, she was able to pretend. Rarely, though, could she be with Dawn or Xander without the supernatural involved somehow.

"This is nice," Buffy said.

"It really is," Xander said, enjoying the down time. They didn't get enough of this. For Buffy's sake, he was glad that she'd taken time to create a life for herself. If anyone had earned it, it was her. Sometimes, he wished that for himself. However, she had so fundamentally altered him at his core. He could never be satisfied with just a nine to five job, a wife and kid. He may have all three one day, but he'd be doing his part to save the world one soul at a time whenever he could.

"I'm glad you like it," Lex said. "It's growing on me." He smiled at Buffy, one of the two that he felt the beginning of a friendship with. Making friends was never easy with him. Men especially saw him as a threat. Normally, he'd see Xander as a rival for Buffy's affection. However, he'd watched the two of them closely. There was no sexual tension between them. They acted like siblings or close friends. Xander's willingness to risk his own life for Buffy filled Lex with admiration. There were so few men alive today that Lex felt he could genuinely admire and respect.

He hoped that this would mark the beginning of real friendship with both of them. With Buffy, he'd hope for more. However, he sensed that she wasn't like other girls. He couldn't impress her with his money or flashy cars. This would take some time.

Since she was moving soon to Smallville, he'd have all the time he needed.

****** _Chapter End_ _******_

 _Yes, I know that the Talon was probably not open yet in this timeline or serving full meals, but I am using it anyway. Reviews are the best part of my day, so take a minute and share one!_


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm so glad there are still Smallville fans out there who want to read this story. Thanks!**

Chapter 3: Connecting

 _******Several Weeks Later******_

Lex was in Metropolis, listening to the monthly reporting of the board. His dad insisted that he come to them whenever he could. Normally, he was annoyed with the inconvenience of having to go to these meetings. Now, however, he loved any excuse to go to Metropolis. He had met Buffy about six weeks ago, and life was fun again. They weren't exactly dating—the woman was too elusive for such traditional maneuvering. Ever since her Saturday in Smallville, he had found an excuse to see her on four other occasions. They went to lunch twice. An art show once and a concert last week.

They spoke more on the phone, however. Usually, he would call her every few days around eight o'clock. Not too late but not interrupting dinner in case she had plans. The first few phone calls, he'd kept light and innocuous. Then the Wednesday before Thanksgiving things changed. She was going to Ohio to spend the holidays with friends and her sister. She became nostalgic at lunch when he'd gotten her to meet him before her flight. She always missed her mother the most this time of year until after Christmas. Lex could relate. He'd been much younger than she when he'd lost his own. They connected over their shared losses. The next night, she'd call him for the first time, surprising him. She wanted to share a funny story of Dawn's attempt to cook all the pies. It had been gross and unforgettable. Buffy was quite pleased since her friends still talk about her first attempt to do Thanksgiving when her mother was on a business trip.

Lex liked her more and more. More importantly, though, he felt that he'd made a real friend. Counting Clark, he'd made two. If Xander visited more, he might have three. Considering he'd had few real friends in his entire life, he felt very blessed this year.

School was out for the term at her university. Her last final was today. She was going home for Christmas but promised to be back in town for New Year's Eve. Lex had a few houses in Smallville to show her that he thought she might like—he'd use any excuse to spend time with her.

After the incredibly boring board meeting, his dad said, "Lex, come to my office."

Obediently, Lex followed. His dad had sent him to Smallville to punish him—Lex's party life style was getting out of hand. Now that he'd met Buffy and Clark, he was more than a bit embarrassed at the careless life he'd lived up until now. His dad was looking at a folder.

"What's up, Dad? The month report sounded like everything seems to be going well," Lex observed. He sat down in the chair in front of his father's desk.

"What are your plans for the day?" Lionel Luther asked.

Lex frowned, surprised by the question. His dad never showed interest in Lex's personal life or his mundane activities. "If you must know, I'm going to visit my friend Buffy on campus. We'll probably go to dinner," Lex said.

"Buffy Summers, right?" his dad asked.

Lex sat up straight. "Yes," he said slowly. "Why the sudden concern about my personal life, Dad? I've kept my nose clean, stayed out of trouble. The plant in Smallville is running fine. Why the sudden need to keep tabs on me?"

"I'm your father, Lex. It's my job to make sure that you're cultivating the right type of relationship. Befriending Clark Kent is a smart move. His father is the salt of the earth type who carries a lot of weight with the other farmers," Lionel said. "This new girl, though, concerns me."

Lex smirked. "She's just a girl, Dad. I'm not getting married. I haven't even kissed her. We're friends," he said.

Lionel frowned. "That right there concerns me. You don't waste time on beautiful women unless you're interested in them. The fact that you're doing this old-fashioned courtship means she's special to you," he said.

"How do you know she's beautiful?" Lex asked, suspicious.

Lionel threw down a photo of her. "Because I care enough to discover all I can about the people you spend time with," he said.

"Since when?" Lex asked, angry.

"Since always," his dad replied. "I've just never told you."

Lex burned with rage at his father's daring. However, he worked to keep his cool. It never paid to let his father know exactly how much someone mattered. His dad would use it against him. He was the master manipulator. Lex learned at an early age to never show any weakness or vulnerability in front of his dad. He would always live to regret it if he did.

He picked up the photo. It was a closeup of Buffy smiling at him at their last lunch in town. "This is a new low, Dad," he said in disgust.

"What's low is this girl. I doubt you know her as well as you think you do. She's got a criminal history that would be dangerous for our image and this company," Lionel said.

"What's that supposed to mean? She's a psych major who plans on starting a mentorship at Smallville High," Lex said. "She's not a master spy."

"No, she's a murderer," Lionel said flatly.

Lex looked at his father in true disbelief. "Now you've lost your mind!"

Lionel threw the folder down in front of Lex. "See for yourself. She was arrested once for murder when she was sixteen. Accused of throwing her Mom's boyfriend down the stairs and breaking his neck. Then she was wanted for murder again a year later," Lionel announced.

Lex read the file. "All of these charges were dismissed," he said, throwing the file back on his dad's desk. "This says nothing."

"It says that she's dangerous and unstable," Lionel said.

"First of all, you would've said the same exact thing about me when I was sixteen and seventeen," Lex countered. "Hell, Dad, you would've said that a year ago. People change. They mature. They grow up."

"Did she tell you about any of that?" Lionel asked.

"No, but it doesn't matter," Lex said. "She saved my life, Dad. She jumped into water to save a stranger. That should tell you all you need to know about the type of person she is. She lost her mom a few years ago and had to raise her sister. Believe me, that made her grow up fast. Then her entire town was destroyed. She's been through a lot. Now she wants to give back to others." Lex stood up. "Buffy is someone to admire, not fear, Dad. My relationship with her won't be causing problems with the stockholders. I'm confident of that." Not letting his dad say anything more, Lex walked out of his office.

His dad controlled a lot of things in his life—too many really. However, this wasn't something Lex was going to let his father interfere with. Buffy Summers was already too important to him.

Buffy was packing up her dorm when Lex arrived. Her dorm room door was open. He knocked on the door frame.

She looked up, smiled to see him. It had been so nice taking her time with a man. There was no life and death drama bringing them together too closely. Although they had started their relationship in a life death situation, the rest of their time together had been utterly normal. It was the first relationship Buffy had had like this since she'd been called. Lex hadn't even tried to kiss her yet. Buffy figured she'd kiss him before she went home. It was Christmas after all.

"Hello," she said. "I'm ready to go."

"Are you moving your stuff out?" he asked.

"I got permission to wait until the holidays since I haven't secured a new place. They said if I don't have it emptied out before the next term, I'll be charged," Buffy said.

"Well, it just so happens that I have a few places in Smallville that might work for you. I was thinking you could check them out tomorrow after breakfast. You were driving to Ohio, right?" he asked.

"Yes, I brought a car back over Thanksgiving. It will allow us to bring some stuff. And pull a small U haul with Dawn's stuff. We'll buy furniture locally," Buffy said.

"That sounds like a good plan," he said. "You can stay in Smallville tonight."

"So . . . you want me to stay the night with you?" she asked, surprised. "I didn't realize we were ready for that kind of thing."

Lex smiled. "I live in a mansion. I have over a dozen rooms you can choose from," he said. "I wasn't expecting you to stay in my room."

Buffy gave him a mischievous smile. "Now that would be a very nice Christmas surprise, wouldn't it?"

Lex laughed. "Yes, it would," he said. He held out his hand for hers. When she did so, he pulled her close. "I do like you, Buffy Summers. But if friends is all you want to be, I'm okay with that. I haven't had very many good friends in my life. I'd rather have you as a close friend, than nothing at all."

Buffy gave him a searching look and then reached up and gave him a soft kiss. It was fleeting, but it wasn't a kiss of friendship. "I like you, Lex. A lot," she assured him. "My romantic history is incredibly tragic, though. I don't want to rush things. I'm a complicated woman with a lot of crazy things in my past. I have obligations to people that will sometimes pull me away. Most men will have trouble with my secrecy—I have things I can't really talk about. Maybe someday but not now."

"I understand. There's things in my past that aren't pretty," he said. "But I do have to tell you that my dad ran a background check on you."

"What?" Buffy asked in dismay.

"Why don't I tell you all about it over dinner? Mexican sound okay?" he asked.

"Sounds great," she said. She wasn't sure how she felt to know that his dad had investigated her. Of course, there wasn't much he could find out—at least nothing slayer related. Willow had warned her about Lionel Luther and by extension Lex. However, she wasn't going to judge Lex by his father any more than she'd want someone to judge her by Hank.

Twenty minutes later, they had ordered and were sipping margaritas and eating chips with salsa and queso. "So, what did your dad find in my history that upset him? I'm assuming he was upset," she said.

"Listen, my father is a force of nature. I can't control what he does," Lex said. "I can only apologize for the invasion of your privacy."

"Willow warned me about your dad. He's got a ruthless reputation," Buffy said.

"That's true, unfortunately," Lex said with regret. "He found a copy of your arrest record. I pointed out that the charges had been dismissed."

"I had this troll of a principal in high school. He hated me. Whenever he could, he'd try to find a way to finger me for whatever was going wrong," she shared. "For example, I went into the library after school to meet my friends. One of them had been murdered. He immediately accused me of doing it—like I'd kill my friends."

"That's horrible. Did they find out who did?" Lex asked.

Buffy looked incredibly sad as she nodded. "It was my ex-boyfriend and his friends," she shared.

Lex gave her a surprised look. "I guess you weren't exaggerating about the crappy love life," Lex said.

"I really wasn't," she said, looking morose.

"Does that mean the bar is low and I have a decent shot?" Lex asked hopefully.

Buffy laughed as he wanted her to. "I guess that's one way of putting it," she said. "Another time, I was actually arrested was when a robot that looked human was dating my mother."

Lex gave her an incredulous look. "You're joking," he said.

"Nope. My town was pretty crazy. Once it came out that he was a robot, the charges were dropped," she said.

"Man, your mom had even worse luck with guys than you did," he said in bemusement.

"Very true," she said. "But I'm glad to say that the night before she died, she had a very nice first date. He sent flowers."

"That's good," Lex said, glad for her.

Their food arrived, interrupting. Then Buffy was occupied eating.

Lex had never spent time with a woman like her. She didn't mind at all showing her appetite. It was a very healthy appetite. He couldn't help but wonder if it would spill over to other areas.

Buffy was glad that they were able to talk about some of her sordid past without it being a big deal. Maybe someday she'd share with him some of her slayer related secrets. Maybe this time—with Lex—things really would be different.

 _******Chapter End******_

 _I know this is short and not too much happens, but there's another chapter coming soon. Please take a minute to review!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Some dialogue is taken directly from the episode.**

Chapter 4: Hostages

 _******Smallville******_

When Lex pulled up to his house in Smallville, Buffy snickered. Lex looked at her in surprise.

"I'm not used to that particular reaction," he said.

"Sorry. Nothing wrong here. It's just the idea of a British mansion in some tiny town in Kansas is ridiculous and hilarious to me. Giles, my British father figure, would die," she said with a grin.

"It was brought over here from Wales one piece at a time," Lex said with a rueful grin. "It's not a warm place."

"That's okay. I've been to a few dreary castles. We spent a month in England after Sunnydale became a crater," Buffy said. "Giles had connections and resources that the rest of us didn't."

They got out of the car. Lex held out his hand, and she took it, letting him lead her into his house.

Lex showed her around and then led her to the bedroom across from his. "I'm across the hall, so if you need anything, let me know," he said.

"I'd like to change," she said.

"Meet me downstairs for a drink in twenty?" He suggested.

Buffy nodded. The bedroom was huge—naturally. Feeling like a princess, she went over to the balcony door and opened it. Lex really was filthy rich. Did that mean he was as corrupt and untrusting as his father? Was it foolish of her to think she could have a relationship with someone like him? There was just something about him. When she looked in his eyes, she felt a connection. The same loneliness and heartbreak she felt, she could sometimes see reflected in his eyes. It was hidden by disillusionment—it was the disillusionment that drew her, though. Somehow, she sensed that he hadn't had very many good things in his life. Was she insane for wanting to be one of his good things?

Buffy heard his voice on the phone and went toward it. She nodded as he held up a finger. Turning away from him to allow him a pretense of privacy, she looked around the room. Smiling, she went immediately to the fencing sword. It was so light. She swung it around, swatting invisible foes. The tip wasn't sharp. Obviously, it was meant for play. It was so flimsy.

"Sorry about that. It seems a former employee of my dad's causes some problems in Metropolis," Lex said.

"Was anyone hurt?" She asked.

"Not really," he said.

"Do you need to go back and deal with it?" Buffy asked.

He shook his head. "Dad has it handled," he said. He saw her holding one of his fencing swords. "Do you fence?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I've never used these kinds of swords, but I have some experience with sword play," she said, thinking of her first real sword fight with Angel.

"Do you want to give it a go?" He asked. "I've been taking lessons. I'm not that great yet, so I think you'll be safe."

Buffy grinned. "Sure," she said.

He threw her a head guard. She frowned. "What's this for?" she asked.

"To protect your face," he replied.

"From the not sharp flimsy sword?" she asked, a note of incredulity in her voice.

Lex laughed and tossed his down. "Suit yourself," he said. He got into position. "On guard." Then he moved forward.

Clark came into Lex's, following the sounds of a fight in alarm. When he realized, though, it was Lex having fun with Buffy, he leaned on the door frame enjoying the show.

Buffy was obviously an experienced fencer since she was light on her feet and pressing Lex back.

Lex was more than surprised by Buffy's skill. "I thought you were inexperienced," Lex said, having a hard time defending himself against her attack.

Buffy grinned impishly and said, "I'm a quick learner. Plus, I had an ex that liked real swords. He taught me a thing or two." Moving forward, she pivoted to the right, catching him off guard. He lost his sword.

Clark clapped, alerting them to his presence. "That was great, guys!"

"Clark. I didn't see you there," Lex said, smiling.

"I let myself in," Clark said with a grin. "You never hear me when I knock."

"There's a maid around here somewhere," Lex said.

"You're very good, " Clark said to Buffy. "Been fencing long?"

She shook her head. "I've never touched one of these before. Some real swords a few times, though," she said.

Lex stared at her in bemusement. "You've dated some strange fellows," he remarked.

"You're not wrong," she said.

"So are you two dating now?" Clark asked, grinning.

"I guess you could say that," Buffy said, smiling at Lex, who returned it.

"I'd not presume," Lex replied.

"He takes me out to dinner and buys. I even kissed him once," she said, giving Lex a wink.

"That was a kiss? I thought it was a hello," Lex teased.

"We're taking it slow," Buffy said. "I have issues."

"Don't we all," Lex said, smiling at her.

Clark got the feeling that his presence wasn't needed. "Well, I just wanted to say hi. See how you're doing. We're going to your plant tomorrow for the school field trip. Will you be there?" Clark asked.

"Maybe. I might give Buffy a tour at some point. I'm showing her some rentals in town," Lex shared.

"That's great. If you need any help moving, let me know," Clark said.

"Will do," Buffy said. "Oh, did you give Dawn your number?"

"She has it," Clark said as he waved goodbye.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Buffy said, laughing at her very forward sister. Then she eyed Lex, moving closer to him. She put her arms around his neck, his went automatically to her waist.

"Can I help you?" Lex asked, grinning down at her. Every moment with her was an adventure. She never reacted like a normal girl but was full of surprises.

Buffy pulled his head down and gave him a very hot kiss. Then she stepped back. "I hope that clears things up," she told him. Then she turned to leave, throwing a "good night" over her shoulder.

Lex's heart was about to beat out of his chest, and his body was so aroused. The woman was a siren. He grinned, eager for his next encounter with him.

 _******The Next Day******_

Lex was enjoying his morning. He had breakfast at the Talon with his lovely guest and then met the realtor at nine to show her the first house. Buffy didn't like the thin walls.

"These won't hold up well," Buffy said, frowning. "Xander would not approve."

Lex laughed, and they went to the second place. "Too small," Buffy said. "I need a three bedroom. More than likely someone will be visiting at any given time. I don't want them to have to sleep on the couch or double with Dawn."

"We have two more," Lex assured her.

The third one was a spacious apartment. Buffy liked it. "But let's look at the next one in case I like it better," she said, flashing him a grin.

"That's fine," Lex said.

The last place was a house in his father's new development. "Oh, this is pretty," Buffy said, admiring the houses as they drove down the street. The house they stopped at was a corner house, giving it more yard room on each side. It had a large porch and was two stories.

"This may be too big," Lex said. "But it just became ready this week. It's not even listed yet."

"You own it?" Buffy asked as they got out of the car.

"Technically Luthercorp does," Lex said. "This is one of our projects in Smallville. The plant is the biggest thing we own, but we build houses, too."

"This is really a beautiful house," Buffy said, admiring it. She walked around the house completely before going in. The backyard was fenced in. "We could get a dog. I've always wanted a dog."

"Really?" Lex said. "Me, too. Dad wouldn't let me, though. Said it was too much work, and it would just die on me."

"That's awful," Buffy said in dismay.

"That's Dad," he said.

Lex's phone rang. "Excuse me."

Buffy explored the kitchen until she heard a loud exclamation coming from Lex. She turned to go back to him.

"What's wrong?" She asked in concern.

"I'm sorry. I have to go to work. It seems that a former disgruntled employee is holding the high school students on tour hostage at the plant," he said.

"Seriously?" Buffy asked in disbelief.

"I wish I was joking. I have to go," he said.

"I'll go with you," Buffy said, following him out the door. The realtor was on her cell waiting on the porch. "I love this house. I'll take it!" She made the decision impulsively. The place was probably pricey, but the Council would pay for it while she was in school.

It didn't take them long to get to the plant. Police, media, and an ambulance were already there.

"What's happening?" He asked a deputy.

"Earl Jenkins, a former employee of yours, is holding the visiting high school students hostage," the deputy said.

"Who's in charge?" Lex asked as worry filled him. Clark was in there.

"Sheriff Whitney," the deputy replied.

Lex and Buffy moved toward the sheriff who was looking at blueprints. "I believe he has the kids here," he was saying.

"Sheriff, how can I help?" Lex asked.

"We've evacuated the plant, but he's keeping the kids and the plant manager, Gabe Sullivan, inside," the sheriff explained.

Clark's parents arrived, demanding to be let through the police barricade.

"Go ahead and let them through," Lex ordered when he recognized them.

"What's going on here?" Jonathan demanded.

"There's a lunatic inside demanding to be taken to some place called Level 3. We've managed to evacuate the plant, but he's taken the students hostage.

"Is anyone hurt?" Marth asked.

"Not yet, ma'am," the Sheriff answered.

"What's the guy's name?" Jonathan asked them.

"Earl Jenkins," Lex said.

"I know Earl Jenkins. He used to work for us," Jonathan supplied.

"Well, what's he doing in my plant?" Lex asked.

"Well, he claims that LuthorCorp is doing some crop experiments on some secret Level 3, and that's what made him sick. He's convinced that it's the only place he can get a cure," Jonathan explained.

Buffy frowned, examining the plans. "I don't see a Level 3 on here," she said.

"That's because there isn't a Level 3. There never has been," Lex told them.

A helicopter landed,and a man with a beard got out.

"Who's that?" Buffy asked Lex.

"My father," Lex said, getting tenser.

A man in body armor with SWAT on his chest approached Lionel Luther. "Mr. Luthor, we have a hostage situation," he told Lionel.

"I was briefed on my way down. Lex! How did you allow this to happen?" Lionel demanded.

Buffy narrowed her eyes at the man. _What a jackass_ , she thought.

"I didn't allow anything," Lex said defensively.

"Then how did this man get inside?" his father demanded.

"I think—" Lex began.

"You think? Why don't you know, Lex?" Lionel asked.

Buffy stepped forward. "Do you think you being a jackass and blaming your son helps anything? He's not God. He can't control what people do," she asked, glaring up at him.

"I don't think this is any of your business, Miss Summers," Lionel said, dismissively.

"It's funny how you know who I am when we haven't met before," Buffy said angrily. Of course, since he had her investigated, he would know exactly who she was.

"Can we focus on what's important? We got innocent kids in there," Jonathan said.

"Dad, this is Jonathan Kent," Lex introduced.

"It's been a long time, but I never forget a face," Lionel said.

"Kent's son is inside, and they know the gunman personally," Lex said.

"What's your assessment of this lunatic?" Lionel asked the Kents.

"He's sick, he's desperate, and he blames your plant for his condition," Jonathan said grimly.

"This Level 3 nonsense?" Lionel said dismissively.

"I've assured everyone there is no Level 3. That is the truth, isn't it?" Lex asked pointedly.

"Of course, it is," Lionel said.

Buffy, though, wasn't sure the man was to be trusted and exchanged a look with Lex, showing him her doubt. Lex reached out and squeezed her hand but shook his head. Now wasn't the time to argue. Lex knew his father too well. It would do Buffy no good if she attempted to antagonize his father.

"People's lives are at stake, including my son's. What are you going to do about it?" Jonathan demanded.

"I'm going to let SWAT do their job. When he makes a mistake, they'll move in," Lionel said.

"What about the kids? You need to get on the phone and talk to him!" Martha demanded.

"Mrs. Kent, I understand how you feel. I want everyone to walk out of there alive too, but I do not negotiate with terrorists," Lionel said.

"He's not a terrorist! He's sick and he needs help!" Martha insisted. "If you won't talk to him, then Jonathan will!"

"You're not the one he blames. Is he, Dad?" Lex said, looking at his dad.

Lionel gave Whitney orders to contact the planet. He'd talk to the lunatic. There were too many eyes on him right now, and he didn't need any more negative attention.

"It's the plant manager," the Sheriff said, handing him the phone.

"Gabe, its Luthor," Lionel said.

"Lionel Luthor," Gabe said.

Another, deep voice was heard. "Mr. Luthor, I've finally got your attention, haven't I?" Gabe must have him on speaker phone.

Lionel looked at Whitney and answered loudly. "Earl, why don't you come out? We've got a lot to talk about," he told him.

"Just tell me what you were using down on Level 3," Earl said.

"You're sick Earl. Let everyone go. We'll get you help," Lionel assured him.

"Earl," another voice said.

Marth clutched her husband as she recognized her son's voice. "It's Clark!"

They heard a loud crash. "Oh no. See what you made me do? See what you made me... See what you made me do?" Earl hollered.

"Way to go, Dad. I see you haven't lost your touch," Lex said sarcastically.

"Your methane gas-valve just broke. The whole place is gonna go up," Earl told them.

"You should let me go in a talk to him," Buffy suggested. "I'm a counselor. I can talk him down."

"I can't allow a civilian to go into a dangerous situation like that," the sheriff said.

"Luthor, I trusted you. You told me you were trying to help people. Hey, what are you doing?" he yelled. It was clear that he was talking to someone with him and not Lionel anymore.

"It's all your fault, Luthor," Earl said, speaking into the phone again.

They heard loud gunfire. The SWAT team agent said, "We got shots fired! One hostage down. Full alert!"

They realized Clark or one of the other students had tried to take Earl down.

"What was that boy thinking?" Lionel said in disapproval.

"He wasn't. He's a teenager who's been waiting for someone out here to take the initiative. Look, you've got a hostage situation, a potential bomb in there. Somebody's gotta do something," Jonathan said fearfully.

"You're right. I'm going in," Lex said.

"Don't be foolhardy. This is not time for mock-heroics," Lionel said, obviously not impressed with his son's suggestion.

"I've been in this type of situation before," Buffy said. "I can help diffuse it."

Lex looked at his dad. "You said this is my plant. It's my call," he said.

"I won't allow it, Lex," Lionel said.

Lex grew angry as his father talked down to him in front of everyone, in front of Buffy. "Don't ever do that again," he warned his father. Then he looked at the sheriff. "Tell him Lex Luthor's coming to see him."

The SWAT agent frowned. "I wouldn't advise that, sir."

"Make the call," Lex ordered.

"You're not going in there without me!" Buffy insisted. "Those kids have to be terrified. I can help keep them calm."

"Fine," Lex said. Buffy walked next to him into the plant.

When they got inside, Buffy could see a dozen kids or so looking terrified against a wall. Chloe, the girl who'd been so friendly to her and Dawn, was holding a man's head in her lap.

She rushed to their side. "Is he okay?" she asked.

"It's my dad. He's been shot!" Chloe said.

"He needs a doctor," Lana said.

"Who is she? Get her out of here! I said Luthor only!" the dark-skinned man Buffy assumed was Earl yelled.

"I'm Buffy. I'm a friend of Lex's and a counselor. I'm going to start working at the school next semester. I just want to help keep them calm," she said gently. "I don't want anyone to do anything stupid.

"Too late," Earl said, grimly. "That kid rushed me and caused this whole mess."

"I think you pointing your gun at helpless kids caused this," Buffy said sternly.

"What are we gonna do about these kids, Earl?" Lex said calmly.

"I never meant to hurt anybody. I tried talking to your father, but he wouldn't listen to me," Earl said with tears in his eyes.

"I know the feeling. Earl, you say that everybody's been lying to you. I'm gonna tell you the truth. My father doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about anybody in this room. Because if we all die, his P.R. firm will spin it, his insurance company will pay out, and you, Earl, will go down as the bad guy," Lex told him.

Buffy could see that the man was desperate and scared. Anger built inside of her. The man wasn't upset for no reason. Something was seriously wrong here. She murmured reassurances to the kids.

"I'm not the bad guy. I'm just trying to get better!" Earl told Lex.

"How are you gonna get better by killing a bunch of kids? If you let everybody go, I'll take you to Level 3," Lex told him.

Buffy gave him a sharp look. He had said there was no level three. Was he bluffing? That was a dangerous gamble.

Earl was clearly suspicious. "You stop lying!" he exclaimed angrily.

"Let them go, and I'll show you where it is. Earl, trust me. I'm a man of my word," Lex assured them.

Earl considered it. Then he gave a slight nod and faced the teens. "Get out. Get out. Get out! Everybody, get out!"

"Come on guys," she said. She put her arms around Mr. Sullivan and helped him to his feet. A large blond boy got on his other side to help.

She heard Clark whisper to Lex, "Do you really know where it is?"

"Yeah. It's in his imagination. There is no Level 3, Clark. Now get out of here," Lex ordered.

"Clark," Earl warned.

Buffy wanted to attack the man and disarm him. However, bullets were too dangerous. Her own encounter with them and Tara's death by a stray bullet flashed in her head. She couldn't risk these kids.

"Let's move. You, too, Clark," she ordered. When he reluctantly turned to follow them out, she relaxed.

It didn't take them long to get out. Immediately SWAT grabbed them all away, releasing Buffy from her burden.

Martha and Jonathan ran up to her. "Where's Clark?" Martha asked.

"Right—" she turned to point and stopped abruptly. "He was right behind me!"

The SWAT agent approached Lionel. "We need to bring down the fire doors. The gas levels are too high. Your son will be sealed inside. I'm sorry sir," he said.

Lionel looked grim but nodded. "Do it."

Another teen, though, came through the doors. Buffy didn't know the young African American, but Martha did as she ran to him. They shut the doors behind the youth.

"Pete! Where's Clark?" she asked, frantic.

"He's back inside, Mrs. Kent. I tried to stop him. I'm sorry. I-I'm sorry," Pete said, fighting tears.

Martha turned to Lionel. "You have to open the doors!" she ordered.

"They're safety locked and can't be opened until the gas levels have gone down," he told him.

"My son is still in there," Martha cried.

"So is mine," Lionel reminded her.

Buffy grabbed his arm, turning him toward her. "What kind of monster dooms their own son to die?" she demanded.

"The one trying to save all the other kids here today!" he replied, pointing to the group that escaped.

"You did this. The man wasn't crazy. There was something wrong with him, and I would bet money that you know _exactly_ what it is," she said. She clenched her fist, fighting the urge to hit him. However, she knew too many young eyes were looking at her with interest. She had to set a good example.

"I have no idea what that man's issues are," Lionel said primly. "I can assure you that I am not responsible for them."

Buffy got in his face and raised up on her tip toes so that she could whisper, "If something happens to your son or Clark, I'll make sure you pay!"

Then she turned to go to the group of students. She could at least help them.

After a few minutes, the SWAT agent told Lionel that the gas pressure had dropped.

"How did that happen?" Lionel asked in surprise.

"I have no idea," he replied.

"Thank God!" Buffy said in relief. Lex had done it! She looked at the Kents. "I'm sure Clark is okay."

"I hope so," Martha said, looking at her husband. They knew he'd be okay. What he might reveal to Lex Luthor, though, in his heroics is what concerned them the most.

Several minutes later, Lex and Luther came out practically carrying Earl. The police grabbed him, but Clark told them he needed a hospital.

Marth and Jonathan run to Clark embracing them. "I have never been so happy to see you in my life!" Martha exclaimed.

Buffy hugged Lex. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Lex's anger with his father warred with the warm feelings her concerned provided. "I'm okay. It's my disgust with my father that is making me sick," he said. He turned to face his dad, who pulled him into an embrace. Cameras were rolling, after all. Lex pushed him back, glaring up at his father. "You lied to me."

"No, no I didn't. I said Level 3 wasn't on any plans. It wasn't. It's plausible deniability," Lionel said.

Buffy's mouth fell open in shock at the man's audacity. Lex, though, wasn't too surprised. "What were you doing down there?" he asked his dad.

Lionel shrugged dismissively. "Doesn't matter. It was a failure, we closed the door and moved on," he said.

"You almost got me killed," Lex said angrily, grabbing his dad's jacket.

"No, you almost got yourself killed. It was your call, remember?" Lionel said with a smirk.

"Mr. Luthor!" a report called out.

Lionel glanced back and looked at Lex. "I'll handle this," he said as he walked to face the reporters.

"Your dad is unbelievable," Buffy said, incredulous.

"Tell me about it," Lex said in disgust. He moved to stand behind his dad as he spoke to the reporter

"Mr. Luthor, what can you tell us about Level 3?" the report asked.

"I think you're referring to a redundant storage area at the base of the plant. Mr. Jenkins is a very sick man who desperately needs medical attention—" Lionel began.

Lex pushed himself to stand next to his dad and said, "That's why my father and I have pledged to find Mr. Jenkins the best medical care possible. He was a LuthorCorp employee and here at LuthorCorp, we always put family first. Isn't that right, Dad?" He gave his dad a fake smile.

Lionel glared at his son but couldn't argue in front of the reporters.

The reporter asked, "Mr. Luthor, is it true the government is trying to shut you down?"

Lionel waved his hand dismissively. "No, no, no. No more questions, please. My son has been through quite an ordeal today," he told them, pulling Lex away from the reporters.

"What kind of experiments are you doing?" Buffy asked Lionel.

"I don't believe any of this is any of your business, Miss Summers," Lionel said.

"Don't talk to Buffy that way," Lex said. "Come on, Buffy. Let's go to the hospital and see how Earl is doing." He pulled her away from his dad. He paused in front of Clark. "That's twice now that you saved my life, Clark. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Lex. You didn't have to come in there to help us. You risked your life for all of us," Clark said.

"My dad did this," Lex said grimly. "What more could I do?"

"You really don't know what he was doing in there with Earl?" Jonathan asked him.

"I had no idea. My dad lies to me, too," Lex said.

"Earl said something about a green mist," Clark said. "Chloe would say it was the meteorite. He was experimenting with it."

"Whatever he did, messed Earl up. He shakes uncontrollably," Clark said.

"We'll meet you at the hospital," Lex said. He took Buffy's hand and led her to his car.

"Are you okay? How did Clark save you?" Buffy asked.

Lex waited to answer after he got into the car. "We went over this archway in Level 3, and the thing collapsed. I was hanging by my hands off the rail about two or three stories off the ground," he said. "Somehow, Clark not only kept me from falling, he managed to pull me up."

"Wow, that's impressive," Buffy said.

"Yea, a bit too impressive. He shouldn't have been able to do that," Lex said, puzzled.

"Well, adrenaline can make people do amazing things," she said.

"Maybe," Lex said, starting his car.

"Maybe he's half demon. He is adopted, you know," Buffy said, knowing he wouldn't take her comments seriously.

Lex chuckled as he backed out. "Demon, huh?" he asked.

"Yes, a part demon human could look entirely normal," Buffy said with a shrug.

Lex glanced at her to see if she was joking. "You're joking, right? Or did you know a lot of demons in your day?"

Now Buffy laughed. "You'd be surprised. I grew up on a hellmouth," she said, fighting a smile. Her life was unbelievable, so, of course, he wouldn't think she was serious.

"Really? Sounds exciting," he said, enjoying her.

"Oh, it was," Buffy said, not offended that he didn't believe her. It was fun throwing truth at him without him believing her. "In fact, I think your dad might be like my town's mayor. He was an evil warlock who turned into a snake at my graduation. Ate the principal."

Lex love her creativity and played along. "My dad is a snake already. Not sure he needs any magic to turn himself into one," he said in amusement.

Buffy grinned and reached for his free hand. "I'm really glad you're okay," she said softly. "I was worried."

Lex's eyes connected with hers. It'd been a long time since anyone worried about him or even cared what happened.

"Thanks. So was I," he said. "I like having someone worry about me."

Buffy wasn't sure how much Lex and his dad had in common. However, today showed her that they weren't the same. Lionel Luther was a ruthless, uncaring bastard. Getting involved with Lex any further would mean that Lionel would probe deeper into her life. Did she really want that?

***** _The Next Morning*****_

Lionel called his investigator into his office. "Frank, I'm going to need more on Buffy Summers. Investigate everyone she knows, knew, or loves. I want to know everything there is to know about her. Not this ancient stuff that Lex can easily dismiss. Follow her if you have to. I want to know all her secrets," he said. "I'll don't care how many hours it takes."

Frank nodded. "Understood, sir," he said.

After he left, Lionel sat back in his chair looking at a copy of Buffy's high school yearbook. She was only in it once. She was in a dress, holding a small umbrella.

 _Buffy Summers, class protector_

 _How strange_ , Lionel thought. _Why would this tiny girl be awarded such thing? The woman was a mystery. One that Lionel wad determined to solve_.

 _*****Chapter End*****_

 _I hope you enjoyed this. I have one more chapter in this volume. Take time to give me a review! Thanks!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Confronting the Snake

***** _Two Weeks Later*****_

Buffy was drinking egg nog that Dawn did _not_ make on Christmas Eve. It was good being back in Cleveland and spending this time with her friends. Dawn had put up mistletoe everywhere and got a kick out of bullying everyone into kissing. Xander has kissed like ten slayers, including Buffy, Faith, and Dawn. When Xander had gotten caught next to Andrew, he'd had enough, however, and went through the large house, pulling down the plants.

"Nope. Not gonna do this no more!" he grumbled, glaring at his giggling besties.

"Come on, Xan! It's tradition," Dawn protested between giggles.

"How about a new tradition? Only giving out happy candy canes and presents. Lots of presents!" Xander said.

The doorbell rang. Dawn almost broke her neck trying to beat three slayers to the door. When she edged them out, flinging open the door, Buffy was impressed.

"How does she do that?" Buffy said in bemusement.

"Slayers are too direct to be as sneaky as Dawn," Xander said with a grin. "She's got a wicked elbow jab."

"Buffy, there's a package for you," Dawn yelled.

Buffy got up and signed for the package. "You know you could've done that," she told her sister.

"Who's it from?" Faith asked. "Everyone you know is here." Even Giles had flown in from London to spend Christmas with his kids.

When Buffy saw the return address, she smiled. "Lex. It has to be Lex," she said, tearing it open. There were two envelopes and a wrapped package.

"Xander, this is for you," Buffy said, handing him an envelope.

Both of them opened the envelopes.

"What's it say?" Dawn asked.

"Lex is throwing a New Year's Eve party," Xander said. "Me and a guest are invited!"

"I wanna go," Willow said with a pout.

"Me, too," a dozen voices echoed.

"Is everyone forgetting that Kansas isn't that close?" Giles said.

"Open the package, B," Faith said. "I wanna see if your millionaire boyfriend has good taste."

The package was too large to be jewelry. It was long. "It's probably roses," Willow guessed.

"That's too cheap," Dawn argued.

Buffy smiled at their enthusiasm and tore the package open. When she lifted the lid to the box, she gasped.

"Oh my God!" Dawn exclaiming.

"Wow, Buffy," Willow added.

"That is one sweet piece," Faith said, admiring it.

Buffy was stunned. Lex had bought her a beautiful sword. She pulled it out. It rested inside a jeweled scabbard.

"Are those emeralds?" Xander asked in awe.

Buffy pulled the sword from the scabbard. The blade gleamed. She swung it. "The balance is perfect."

Giles looked at it with interest. "It's not an antique," he said.

Buffy pulled out her phone to call Lex.

"Hello," Lex said.

"Hi. I got your gift. It's amazing! Thank you!" Buffy told him.

"I'm glad. I had it made just for you. It is a real sword, not just a show piece. I made sure the blacksmith used tempered steel," he said.

"Really? That's so cool! You're very sweet. It's too much, though," she said. "I'm not seeing you to get expensive gifts."

"I know that, Buffy. It's why I want to give you things," he said.

"When did you decide to throw a party?" she asked.

"As soon as you left town. I wanted an excuse to show you off to everyone I know and annoy my father at the same time," he said, causing Buffy to laugh.

"Is he not invited?" she asked, appreciating his honesty.

"It's his house. He can come if he's in town."

"Buffy, ask him if I can come!" Willow asked. Several others echoed her.

"Xander got your invitation, but it's caused some problems," Buffy shared.

"Oh?"

"Faith, Willow, and a few other friends would like to come," Buffy said.

"Bring anyone you want. They're all welcome. They can stay the night at my place, so no one has to stay in a hotel. I have plenty of room," he said.

"I remember," she said. She gave the thumbs up to her family.

Lex could hear cheering and chuckled. "I see they're excited," he said.

"Very," she said.

"Well, have a Merry Christmas. I'll see you in a week," he said.

"You, too. Thanks again, Lex," Buffy said. She disconnected the call, a dreamy expression on her face.

"You really like him," Faith said, observing her expression.

"It's that obvious?" Buffy said, flushing.

"Yes," everyone said. Laughter broke out.

"Buffy, can I talk to you?" Willow asked, pulling her aside. "You know Lex's father is digging into our work. I've fought of three internal intrusions the past two weeks."

"I didn't say anything to Lex. He and his father don't really get along, and I didn't want to cause a fight over the holidays," Buffy said.

"I understand. I was just wondering if I could use the party as a way to get access to the Luthercorp mainframe," Willow said.

"You want to spy on Lex?" Buffy asked, incredulous.

"Not Lex—his father," Willow said. "Buffy, Giles and I have discussed this. Lionel is diabolical. What he did to that poor worker isn't an isolated incident. There have been too many complaints and hushed up lawsuits. But his callousness when faced with that Earl guy, says a lot about the type of guy he is. The man didn't hesitate to make a call that'd kill his own son. He's ruthless."

Buffy frowned. "I just started dating Lex, Willow. Something like this could destroy us before we really get anywhere," she said.

"Well, tell him if you want. But wait until _after_ I do it," Willow said. "There's more than just you and your relationship at risk. Lionel Luther can never know about slayers." He was doing dangerous experiments with an alien rock. What would he do if he got a hold of a slayer?

Buffy nodded in resignation. "Fine. Go ahead. But after the party, I'm telling Lex," she said.

"Okay," Willow said.

"You know, Buffy, if Lionel becomes a real problem there are ways to get back at him that don't require violence," Xander said, a diabolical grin on his face.

"Just don't tell me," she said. "The don't ask, don't tell works just fine in this situation."

"I want to know," Willow said to Xander.

"Come enter into my web," Xander said, stroking an imaginary beard. The girls giggled at him. Buffy ignored their whispering in a corner. Xander was a prankster, not malicious. So surely it wouldn't be awful whatever he planned for Lionel.

Giles was glad that things were back to normal with the friends. Buffy deciding to step back had upset everyone, especially Willow and Xander. Now they were back on the same page, glad to see Buffy so happy.

It was a great Christmas.

****** _New Year's Eve******_

Clark, Pete, and Chloe came to Lex's in various states of eagerness. Pete had to be cajoled to come since he didn't like or trust any Luthor. Chloe was excited to finally get inside the Luthor mansion and had been staring wide-eyed as soon as they came through the doors. Clark was excited to go to a real New Year's Eve party. His parents only allowed his attendance when Buffy and Dawn stopped by with Xander. Buffy ordered some produce and assured the Kents that she and her friends would be there to chaperone. Jonathan didn't like it, but Clark promised to get home by one o'clock.

"I can't believe your dad agreed to let you come," Pete said.

"Buffy's hard to say no to," Clark said with a grin.

Pete saw several stunning women who looked closer to his age than Lex's. "Look at those girls! Why are they here? They can't be twenty-one!" he exclaimed in awe.

Clark looked and saw Dawn talking to one of them. "They must be friends of Dawn. She said several of their friends came down to see their place and ring in the New Year," Clark said. He led them toward Dawn.

Chloe's attention was taken by a gorgeous woman in black leather pants that was dirty dancing with a pirate. "Who's the pirate?" Chloe asked.

Dawn grinned. "That's Xander. He's like my uncle. Buffy's best guy friend and the best guy you'll ever meet," she said.

"So is the eye patch for real or is it part of his look?" Pete asked.

Dawn's smile faded as she answered, "It's for real. Our home town was kind of dangerous. Xander confronted a serial killer who was trying to kill Buffy and some other girls. The guy gouged out his eye."

Pete looked ill. "Sorry," he said quickly.

"It's okay," she said.

"Why doesn't he get a glass eye?" Chloe asked. "They make them very real like."

"I don't know. You'd have to ask him," Dawn said. "He might one day."

"Is that Xander's girlfriend?" Clark asked.

"Faith? No, she's just a big tease," Dawn said, rolling her eyes. "Xander's girlfriend died last May. He's not quite ready for a new girlfriend. Anya didn't make it out of Sunnydale before it collapsed."

The three friends sobered up, feeling various degrees of guilt and sadness.

"Hey, it's okay. We survived. Don't feel bad. Anya had a great long life," Dawn assured them. She looked at Pete. "Do you want to dance?" She didn't want to alienate Chloe by asking Clark.

"Sure," Pete said, happy to dance with the very attractive new girl.

Buffy was slow dancing to the fast song with Lex—much to his delight. "This is a good party," she said.

"I'm glad you made it," he said, kissing her cheek. Then he pulled her out and spun her.

Buffy laughed as she went back into his arms. "I have a feeling that this is going to be a great year," she said. She pulled him down for a kiss.

Chloe and Clark were watching the couple. "Looks like Ms. Summers is getting awfully close to Lex," Chloe observed.

"Yes," Clark said, smiling. "She'll be good for him."

"How do you know? She's from a really weird town, Clark. I've been doing some research and Sunnydale was even weirder than Smallville," Chloe shared.

"So, she'll fit right in," Clark said.

Chloe remained skeptical. "Dawn seems nice, but look at the women they brought. Do any of them seem normal to you?" she asked, gesturing across the room.

Clark looked and saw beautiful women of various ages. Sure, some of them looked very predator-like and moved like professional dancers or even fighters. "They seem nice," he said, not willing to encourage Chloe. Her sleuthing upset him when it was directed at him and his life. He didn't want to ruin possibly new friendships by having her start digging into Dawn's life.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Nice? A visit to grandma's house is nice. They are like-like, well, I don't know what they're like, but they are _not_ like anyone in Smallville!" she declared, for once at a loss for the right words.

Clark laughed. "You lived in Metropolis. Surely, you're not a snob already?" he teased. "How about we dance and you stop with the conjecture and suspicion?"

Chloe relented, allowing her friend to pull her out onto the dance floor.

The party was fun and lively. Clark met several of Dawn's friends. When the countdown to the New Year began, he suddenly found himself surrounded by five beautiful girls, including Dawn. Pete stared wide-eyed.

"Why do I feel like a piece of meat?" Pete whispered.

"Cause you are," Rebel, a sixteen year-old slayer with red curly hair, said, kissing him when it hit midnight. Pete was kissed by two others.

Clark lost track of how many women kissed him. His face was flaming bright, though. All the women kissed him enthusiastically. Most used their tongues. It was both heady and uncomfortable. When he looked at Chloe, he realized that she was just as stunned.

"Two of Dawn's friends kissed me!" she shared, shocked.

"Women?" Clark asked in surprise.

"They kissed me first," Pete said, puffing out his chest. This might be the best night of his young life.

Dawn laughed at her new friends. She'd kissed all three of them, but Chloe on the cheek, not wanting to freak her out. "Willow's gay, so none of my friends are uncomfortable with that kind of thing. I'm sorry if you were freaked out. They weren't seriously trying to hit on you," she said to Chloe.

"It's okay. I was just surprised," she admitted.

Lex found out that he and Buffy hadn't been dating long enough for Faith to not hit on him. Faith grabbed Lex right after he kissed Buffy and pulled him in for a loud kiss. Buffy shocked Lex by pulling him away and slugging Faith in the face. Instead of getting mad, Faith grinned and pulled Buffy's face toward hers, placing a loud kiss on her lips.

"There. Now I've kissed you both. No need to be jealous, B," she said with a wink. Then she sauntered away to kiss one of Lex's co-workers.

"Your friends are—" he paused, looking for the right word.

"Insane. I know," Buffy said with a sheepish grin.

Lex spotted his father coming into the ballroom. "Great. Dad decided to join us," Lex said. Then he winced when two of Buffy's hot friends, one being Faith, pulled his father in for a kiss.

Buffy groaned. "My friends are all shameless hussies," she said.

"Well, they sure keep things interesting," Lex said, laughing as his dad untangled himself from the two women.

"Lex," Lionel said, eying Buffy.

"Happy New Year, Dad," Lex said. "Nice of you to join the party."

"When you said you were inviting a few friends over, I didn't know you meant a hundred," he said.

"There's not that many here," Lex argued.

"I brought a dozen with me," Buffy said. "I'm moving into Smallville with my sister. A dozen friends came down from Cleveland to help."

"That's nice," Lionel said insincerely.

"Here's one now," Buffy said, gesturing to Willow. "Willow, this is Lex's dad, Lionel Luther. Lionel, this is Willow Rosenberg, my best friend."

Lionel gave her a polite smile and held out his hand. "How do you do?" he asked.

"Better than you will be doing if you keep trying to hack into our school's mainframe," Willow said with a bright smile as she shook his hand.

"Excuse me?" Lionel asked.

Buffy gave Lex a guilty look. "I was going to talk to you about this later," she said.

"Why don't we take this into my study?" Lex said over the music. He had a feeling things were about to get uncomfortable.

The four went into his study.

"What school are you talking about?" Lex asked Willow.

"My friends run a school for girls in Cleveland. Some of Dawn's friends that she brought attend it," Buffy said. "We've noticed some intrusions in our systems."

"What does that have to do with my dad?" Lex asked warily.

"I traced them back to Luthercorp," Willow said. "Since Buffy told me that your dad already had her investigated, we concluded that he'd initiated the hack."

"You have no proof of that!" Lionel exclaimed. "Besides, aren't you a little young to be running a school?"

"I'm a computer teacher," Willow said. "I finished my degree in three years." Of course, she also taught witchcraft and spell casting, but she wasn't about to share that.

"Ladies, can I have a moment with my father?" Lex asked.

"Sure," Buffy said.

When they closed the door, Buffy turned to Willow. "Did you get a chance to check out his computer?"

"As soon as we arrived I did that," Willow said proudly. "Are you going to tell him?"

Buffy didn't like keeping secrets. She had too many as it was. "I'll tell him something," she said.

"Let's go get a drink. I'm sure Lex is used to dealing with his father," Willow said, tugging on Buffy's hand.

Buffy sighed and let herself be pulled. She hoped Lex would be okay in there with his father.

Lex stood glaring at his dad. "Please tell me that Buffy's friend is either delusional or misinformed," he said.

"With that girl's record, she probably _is_ delusional," Lionel said.

"You're not still looking into Buffy and everyone she knows?" Lex asked pointedly.

"It's for your own protection," Lionel said, not denying it.

Lex took a breath, working to control his temper. Losing his cool with his dad was never a good idea. "This needs to stop, Dad. You need to trust that I am not going to do anything to endanger you or our business. I would hope that you could respect me enough to do the same when it comes to Buffy. I care about her, Dad—a lot," Lex said.

Lionel knew that his son was too old to forbid the relationship. "Well, son, I can't make any promises. Forewarned is forearmed," Lionel said. "I don't want you to be blindsided."

"I'm a grown man, Dad. I can handle it. But Buffy isn't someone to worry about," Lex assured him. "You keep going down this path, you'll regret it."

"I think you should head back to Metropolis," Lionel said, trying another tactic. "You've done good work at the plant. You've matured and stepped up like I hoped. You're ready to join me now at Metropolis,"

"Nice try," Lex said, rolling his eyes. "It's not happening. Buffy is going to school there. If I was in Metropolis, I'd still see her. But I'm not going to Metropolis. I like it in Smallville. I have friends here. I like who I am here."

Lionel knew if he pushed, Lex would just dig his heels in. "I hope you don't regret it," he said.

"I won't," Lex said. Then he went back to the party and to Buffy.

Buffy had Dawn take all the underage partiers to her new house. All the adults were staying at Lex's. She wasn't too worried about them being alone for a few hours. She wasn't staying at Lex's because she didn't want their first time together to be under the eyes of all her friends.

As for Lex, he pulled her to a corner away from the speakers.

"I'm sorry about my dad, Buffy," he said with regret.

"Hey, you don't need to apologize," Buffy said. "Actually, I should apologize for Willow. She won't leave Lionel alone. She'll probably spy back on him if she gets into his mainframe."

"Well, he started it. As long as she doesn't have any malicious intent or try to bankrupt us, I'll pretend I don't know anything," Lex said with a smirk.

"No, she's not malicious, but she's read stuff about your dad and is worried about his intentions," she said. "After Sunnydale, we only have each other. She's protective. We all are for one another."

"I'm a bit jealous. I've never had friends like that," Lex said.

"You do now," Buffy said. She pulled him close for a kiss.

Lex held her close, savoring her in his arms. Maybe, his luck was finally changing. It was a New Year. He had some new friends and an incredible, intriguing woman. Whatever his father planned, he wouldn't let it interfere. Lex had a feeling that Buffy Summers was a woman worth fighting for.

***** _The End*****_

 _For now! I hope to write more and had another story getting into the second half of season 2 of Smallville. Reviews are great! Thanks so much!_


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